Not long after I started cycling I started seeing posters for the London Bikeathon 2013. I checked out the website and decided it was something I could probably complete.

At the time I signed up I'd had my bike less than a week and hadn't even cycled 17km in one session. Having never taken part in any form of organised cycling event I opted for the 26 mile route (41.8km).

I wasn't sure if I'd ever manage the full distance, or if I did how long it would take. I didn't want to enter and collapse half-way round, or take 6 hours to complete the route.

Still, I like to give things a go, experience things and give myself something to aim for.. so in September this year I'll be joining many other people in clogging up London and raising money for charity.

London Bikeathon 2013 - 26-mile route

I've paid my entrance fee (to cover organisational costs) and I splashed out for the event jersey (I'm not up to the 100-mile route yet - where I would have got it free).

All I need to do now is to raise some money! Hopefully some of you will have read this far, and with luck you'll have a small amount of spare money that you can afford to donate to this cause.

I'd like to tell you a story about how much this means to be because of a close relative who's been affected in some way. I've been lucky and I haven't.

I'm doing this because I believe that asking for charity donations should actually involve some effort (yes Movember, I'm looking at you!). I may not have set myself the most difficult target, but I'm venturing into the unknown, and combining something I enjoy (cycling) with something I should have done years ago (getting fit) with a good cause.